An Edmonton Oilers forward spent part of his summer in Germany with a different kind of mission in mind.
Josh Samanski, who is 24 and back home during the offseason, showed up at Gäubodenvolksfest in Straubing and tried his luck at finding love - but not under his own name. Sitting on the festival’s “Singles Couch,” he introduced himself as “Finn” and kept the hockey-player part of his life out of the conversation.
“I’m pretty much a normal guy,” Samanski said in his native German. “I like to go to Volksfest with the guys. Just looking for true love and, hopefully, it works out today.”
The couch itself has a history at the festival, and a local German newspaper reported that 93 singles took part, including Samanski and another hockey player, Filip Varejcka. Both players used different names.
There was a reason Samanski may have wanted the disguise. He spent four seasons with the Straubing Tigers of the DEL, which would make him a familiar face around the area.
As for what he’s looking for, Samanski made it clear that looks only go so far. Asked about the kind of person he wants, he said, “Beautiful eyes, the rest doesn’t matter,” and added, “Of course, we have to get along well… Maybe non-smoking would be nice.
“I just loaf around at home on the couch and stare at the ceiling waiting for the day to be over. If a nice girl likes doing that as well, I’m her guy.”
He also kept up the cover when asked whether he was more of a sports guy, instead describing himself as more of a homebody.
If the hockey thing doesn’t work out, there may be an acting future waiting.
Samanski is expected back in Edmonton next month for training camp, where he’ll try to win a full-time NHL job. Last season, he spent most of his time with the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors, but he did get a late-season call-up and appeared in all five of Edmonton’s playoff games.
Across 29 games between the regular season and playoffs, he scored three goals and totaled six points, enough to make an impression on the Oilers’ coaching staff.
Now, with Mike Babcock behind the bench, Samanski will have to keep that momentum going if he wants to open the season in Alberta.
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